Traveling green is a must for us

By KATIE BRECKHEIMERECO columnist

Published: Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 2:42 p.m.

Last year, my son was accepted into a doctoral program at the University of Washington in Seattle. In the four years it will take him to finish, we will want to visit. The fact that he is studying the effects of climate change in UW’s biology department makes it even more compelling for us to make green travel choices.

The distance from Hendersonville to Seattle is approximately 2,700 miles. If we choose to fly, a passenger mile in an airplane, traveling at full capacity, is equal to the passenger mile consumption of an automobile traveling the same distance.

However, air travel has a particularly negative impact on the atmosphere because planes emit a stew of harmful gases in addition to carbon dioxide. Also, as planes cruise in the upper atmosphere, the gases they release have an even greater impact than gases released on the ground. This makes airplane travel almost twice as harmful as driving a relatively fuel-efficient car.

We try to offset the ill effects of our travel by making donations to organizations that work for a cleaner and healthier environment. The Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO), a local grass-roots organization, is a good choice.

This concept, known as carbon offsetting, has gone mainstream. Now the major travel booking sites such as Expedia and Travelocity will link the conscientious traveler to organizations that help the environment. Expedia has partnered with Terra-pass, and Travelocity with the Conservation Fund.

Research by consultant Paul Gridley for Train Chartering states that travel by train uses up to 70 percent less energy and causes up to 85 percent less air pollution than planes. Amtrak’s scenic express train from New Your City to Seattle takes three days. The reviews of the experience, including the meals and sleeper car, are very favorable. It would take us an extra day to get to New York from here, but this sounds appealing.

Other than walking, bicycling across the country would be the least polluting. A touring cyclist, averaging 40 miles per day, could make it to Seattle in 65 days. My husband and I are only recreational cyclists and like to travel with our bikes on a bike rack. We are always looking for places to stop that offer good cycling facilities.

Camping is another passion of ours, and we hope to visit our nation’s most spectacular natural areas between here and Seattle. We were inspired to make a cross-country trip back in 2009 when public television presented the series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” which documented the history of our parks and the people who made them happen. Learn more about it at www.pbs.org/nationalparks/.

Tent camping has been a part of our lives for years, but now, wanting for a little more shelter, we started looking at the plethora of camper options on the market. Finally, we decided on an aluminum-framed slide-in truck camper. We ordered the base-model shell and had it outfitted at Morehead Design Lab in Mills River.

As I wrote this column, we were on our camper’s maiden voyage, trying it out in Florida campgrounds for a couple of weeks. On one of our first nights out, a man from the campsite next door walked over to ask about our rig. At his campsite, we could see a long travel trailer (fifth-wheel style) parked behind his truck.

When we compared our vehicles, they both got approximately 19 miles per gallon on the highway, but when he pulled his heavy camping trailer his mileage dropped to 8 mpg. Our truck’s mileage, with the camper on its bed, was averaging 17 mpg. We have promised ourselves that when a new, more efficient truck comes on the market we will get one, but until then our six-cylinder Nissan will have to do.

Our neighbor was amazed that we didn’t plug in to the electric outlet provided at each campsite. “Don’t you need to plug in to run your television?” he asked. I couldn’t help but smile when I answered, “No, we like to get away from our television when we camp!”

Our camper’s auxiliary battery runs the LED lights, the fan and a small refrigerator, and it will recharge our cellphones. It charges as we drive along and also gets input from a small, flat solar panel mounted on the camper’s roof. For the most part, our camper’s shakedown trip has been successful, and we’re ready to take it across the country this summer.

We believe traveling green is a commitment. It often takes a little extra effort, but not much. If we can’t find a place to recycle on our travels, we ask. Public demand can influence competitive image-seeking businesses, which may change their ways if enough visitors inquire. Being aware of our energy and resource use comes easy after years of practice, even when we’re away from home.

I hope you are planning a trip on one of these cold winter nights. As H. Jackson Brown Jr. once wrote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Katie Breckheimer is a longtime Environmental and Conservation Organization member and volunteer. Reach her at katiebreckheimer@gmail.com.

<p>Last year, my son was accepted into a doctoral program at the University of Washington in Seattle. In the four years it will take him to finish, we will want to visit. The fact that he is studying the effects of climate change in UW's biology department makes it even more compelling for us to make green travel choices.</p><p>The distance from Hendersonville to Seattle is approximately 2,700 miles. If we choose to fly, a passenger mile in an airplane, traveling at full capacity, is equal to the passenger mile consumption of an automobile traveling the same distance.</p><p>However, air travel has a particularly negative impact on the atmosphere because planes emit a stew of harmful gases in addition to carbon dioxide. Also, as planes cruise in the upper atmosphere, the gases they release have an even greater impact than gases released on the ground. This makes airplane travel almost twice as harmful as driving a relatively fuel-efficient car.</p><p>We try to offset the ill effects of our travel by making donations to organizations that work for a cleaner and healthier environment. The Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO), a local grass-roots organization, is a good choice.</p><p>This concept, known as carbon offsetting, has gone mainstream. Now the major travel booking sites such as Expedia and Travelocity will link the conscientious traveler to organizations that help the environment. Expedia has partnered with Terra-pass, and Travelocity with the Conservation Fund.</p><p>Research by consultant Paul Gridley for Train Chartering states that travel by train uses up to 70 percent less energy and causes up to 85 percent less air pollution than planes. Amtrak's scenic express train from New Your City to Seattle takes three days. The reviews of the experience, including the meals and sleeper car, are very favorable. It would take us an extra day to get to New York from here, but this sounds appealing.</p><p>Other than walking, bicycling across the country would be the least polluting. A touring cyclist, averaging 40 miles per day, could make it to Seattle in 65 days. My husband and I are only recreational cyclists and like to travel with our bikes on a bike rack. We are always looking for places to stop that offer good cycling facilities.</p><p>Camping is another passion of ours, and we hope to visit our nation's most spectacular natural areas between here and Seattle. We were inspired to make a cross-country trip back in 2009 when public television presented the series “The National Parks: America's Best Idea,” which documented the history of our parks and the people who made them happen. Learn more about it at www.pbs.org/nationalparks/.</p><p>Tent camping has been a part of our lives for years, but now, wanting for a little more shelter, we started looking at the plethora of camper options on the market. Finally, we decided on an aluminum-framed slide-in truck camper. We ordered the base-model shell and had it outfitted at Morehead Design Lab in Mills River.</p><p>As I wrote this column, we were on our camper's maiden voyage, trying it out in Florida campgrounds for a couple of weeks. On one of our first nights out, a man from the campsite next door walked over to ask about our rig. At his campsite, we could see a long travel trailer (fifth-wheel style) parked behind his truck.</p><p>When we compared our vehicles, they both got approximately 19 miles per gallon on the highway, but when he pulled his heavy camping trailer his mileage dropped to 8 mpg. Our truck's mileage, with the camper on its bed, was averaging 17 mpg. We have promised ourselves that when a new, more efficient truck comes on the market we will get one, but until then our six-cylinder Nissan will have to do.</p><p>Our neighbor was amazed that we didn't plug in to the electric outlet provided at each campsite. “Don't you need to plug in to run your television?” he asked. I couldn't help but smile when I answered, “No, we like to get away from our television when we camp!”</p><p>Our camper's auxiliary battery runs the LED lights, the fan and a small refrigerator, and it will recharge our cellphones. It charges as we drive along and also gets input from a small, flat solar panel mounted on the camper's roof. For the most part, our camper's shakedown trip has been successful, and we're ready to take it across the country this summer.</p><p>We believe traveling green is a commitment. It often takes a little extra effort, but not much. If we can't find a place to recycle on our travels, we ask. Public demand can influence competitive image-seeking businesses, which may change their ways if enough visitors inquire. Being aware of our energy and resource use comes easy after years of practice, even when we're away from home.</p><p>I hope you are planning a trip on one of these cold winter nights. As H. Jackson Brown Jr. once wrote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”</p><p><b>Katie Breckheimer is a longtime Environmental and Conservation Organization member and volunteer. Reach her at katiebreckheimer@gmail.com.</p>